List All Episodes

13 Episodes

Argentina's Upside-Down Desert (Part 1) #1201
[TV-G]A journey through the city of Buenos Aires and into the Andes in search of the dry desert of northwest Argentina. In Buenos Aires, locals lead the way through quaint city streets and pavilions, sharing the history of the city. After a quick stop at a local farmers' market for provisions, David begins the journey up the Andes with a trek through a tropical rainforest. Sights along the way include columnar cacti and an archaeological site that predates the Inca.

Argentina's Upside-Down Desert (Part 2) #1202
[TV-G]A tour of the colonial city of Salta and its downtown market is followed by a journey upward through distinctly different biomes, including a fog forest and a beautiful painted desert, to northwestern Argentina's highest and driest desert—located more than 13,000 feet up a mountain.

Faces of the Argentine Desert #1203
[TV-G]Visits the tomb of Eva Perón in Buenos Aires and a nearby village famous for the wool its people harvest from a cousin of the camel, the vicuña. The local cactus wood is also important in nearly every aspect of their lives: They transform it into furniture such as pews, pulpits, and altars as well as ceiling boards.

Journey to the Rio Grande #1204
[TV-G]David sets out to explore the Chihuahuan Desert and the region near the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park. The river defines the border between the U.S. and Mexico. Next is a burro trek to Boquillas, one of the most remote villages in Mexico, where the local characters include a veteran paleontologist who digs up deep-sea marine mammals in the middle of the desert.

Bikes, Boats, and Big Bend #1205
[TV-G]The exploration of the Chihuahaun Desert continues with a mountain bike ride on the back roads of Big Bend National Park, where an agave forest is in bloom; a search of the park for signs of human occupation, from prehistoric cave painters to European settlers to contemporary explorers; and a canoe trip down the Rio Bravo (called the Rio Grande by Americans) in one of the most isolated areas in Mexico.

Heart of the Sonoran Desert #1206
[TV-G]From mountaintops to rock faces and dry caves, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument has the most diverse sampling of plants and animals found in the Sonoran Desert today. An exploration of a dry cave uncovers signs of ancient life and forensic evidence of the life and death of a javelina, a wild pig-like creature found only in the United States.

Desert Missions #1207
[TV-G]Explores the little-known border town of Sasabe, AZ and a mission in northwestern Mexico known locally as "Heroic Caborca." In the 1800s, townspeople used the mission as a fortress to defend their town from an invading militia from the United States. Bullet holes in the walls provide vivid evidence of battle.

Death Valley #1208
[TV-G]The lowest, hottest, and driest place in North America, Death Valley is almost devoid of life, with few plants or animals. Yet it is rich in human and natural history.

Seasons of the Mojave #1209
[TV-G]The modern history of the Mojave Desert is intertwined with the history of humans along Route 66. Now this land of extremes, where temperatures can reach 120 degrees in the summer and dip below freezing in the winter, is home to the newest and largest desert preserve in the United States.

Lilies of the Desert #1210
[TV-G]The Mojave Desert is home to the world's largest lily (the Joshua tree) and the continent's smallest lizard (the night lizard). Adventurers travel throughout Joshua Tree National Park and explore the intricacies of a cholla forest, learn about the powerful geological forces at work sculpting the landscape, and search for the elusive night lizard.

Crossing the Great Basin Desert #1211
[TV-G]Northern Nevada's Highway 50, labeled "the loneliest highway in America" by Life magazine in the 1950s, crosses the Great Basin Desert. The region boasts fascinating geology and a modern-day re-creation of the steam-powered trains that were crucial to the settlement of the area.

Great Basin National Park #1212
[TV-G]Great Basin showcases the plants, animals, and habitats found throughout the region and includes one of the most profusely decorated caves in North America: Lehman's Cave.

Settling the Great Basin Desert #1213
[TV-G]An in-depth look at the few human inhabitants of the Great Basin Desert, such as the colorful Basque people. Originally from the Pyrenees Mountains in Europe, the first Basque migrants to the Great Basin arrived in the 19th century and worked primarily as shepherds.